Recorded on October 30th of 1958 and released in January of 1959, Moanin’ by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers marked Art Blakey’s return to Blue Note Records, and what a return it was. A powerful collection of inspired tunes, Moanin’ pushed the boundaries of new areas of jazz less, and delved deep into the [...]
Week 17- The Inner Mounting Flame
November 27, 2012 | By
The Inner Mounting Flame by the Mahavishnu Orchestra was the band’s debut album, reaching the people at its release in August of 1971 with the backing of Columbia Records. The 45-minute album consists of eight songs, all written by guitarist John McLaughlin. Sometimes considered one of the best jazz-rock albums of all time, Inner Mounting [...]
Week 16- Double Booked
November 12, 2012 | By
Double Booked, the fourth studio album by Robert Glasper, was released by Blue Note records in August of 2009. A testament to his versatility, the album is a shining example of Glasper’s great adaptability, as well as absolute proof of his proficiency in jazz. Glasper cites his own mother as his greatest influence in music. [...]
Week 15- Light as a Feather
November 11, 2012 | By
Light as a Feather was the second album by the band Return to Forever, the fusion group led by Chick Corea in the 70’s. Recorded in London and released in November of 1972 by Polydor Records, Light as a Feather, produced by Corea himself, introduced the fusion standards “Spain”, “Captain Marvel”, and “500 Miles High.” [...]
Week 14 – Elastic
November 2, 2012 | By
The scholar turned musician, Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California on February 1st, 1969. With music being an important enriching tool for his parents (Dewey Redman, his father, being a well known saxophonist himself), Redman began on recorder at a very young age, working his way through several instruments until he settled on tenor [...]
Week 13: Pilgrimage
October 23, 2012 | By
Pilgrimage, the album by Michael Brecker, was released by Heads Up records in May of 2007. Having been diagnosed with leukemia in 2005, Brecker was very much aware that this was likely going to be his last studio album, which sadly it was. Being his last, this masterpiece of an album provides a unique insight [...]
Week 12- Headhunters
October 8, 2012 | By
Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock was released on October 13th, 1973 by Columbia Records. Included in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the album is a staple of every fusion lover’s collection. The four-song album is a tasteful ode to jazz fusion, each song with its own distinct personality and sound. The [...]
Week 11: Heavy Weather
September 23, 2012 | By
The Grammy inducted album Heavy Weather by Weather Report was released in 1977 by Columbia Records. There were over half a million records sold, proving that there was much more creativity left in jazz-rock fusion. Heavy Weather, Weather Report’s seventh album, is widely considered one of the most important fusion albums of the 70’s. Weather [...]
Week 10: Giant Steps
July 11, 2012 | By
Giant Steps was released by Atlantic Records in January of 1960. The album broke many boundaries in the jazz world, its innovation in jazz chord progressions taking the world by storm.
Week 9: Birth of The Cool
April 29, 2012 | By
This week’s is Birth of The Cool by Miles Davis. Released by Capitol Records in 1957, this record is a compilation of three recording sessions that took place on January 1949 and March 1950. As Davis’s Bitches Brew assisted in creation of fusion as a genre, Birth of The Cool is considered the origin of [...]
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